Here I am, a man in his late 30s, drinking a brewskie, and writing a review... about a pink leash. Sigh. What would the me of 20 years ago think of this as I was approaching my high school graduation? Time flies when you're having fun... buying pink leashes.

So, what can I say about this leash? Well, for one thing, it's pink. Did I mention that already? That's great for many women who grew up loving pink and writing "I love Rob Lowe!" (see, told you I'm old) surrounded by a pink heart pierced by an arrow, but pink doesn't do it for me, nor for most men. Don't get me wrong, I've worn pink before, but that was before I understood the intricacies of separating lights and darks, and turned a washing machine full of all my underwear pink.

Many feel pink is not BDSM-friendly. I'm not into advanced BDSM, but it's true that bright pink doesn't exactly conjure images of dank dungeons, nefarious dominatrices, and bondage furniture that looks like trip to Home Depot gone bad. In Neopolitan ice cream, the pink lies next to the vanilla, and vanilla, in fetish terms, is what pink suggests. However, a pink leash is not designed with this imagery in mind. Rather, it is aimed at the couple just entering the BDSM arena and don't care about how stereotypically "authentic" it might be. In fact, given that some advanced BDSM gear can look downright scary to someone dipping his or her toe into the BDSM waters, pink might may very well be ideal.

I should also mention that this leash is meant to be used with this lovely pink collar that I reviewed previously. Why aren't they sold together? I have no idea, but they go together like Captain and Tennille. No? Luke and Laura? Still no? Well, how about that vampire dude and that hot girl from that popular tween movie series? Finally? Yea for me.

In all seriousness, aside from this leash being - well, you know - it's actually a pretty nice leash. It has held up to abuse over the past couple years and shows no signs of wear and tear. It's made from 1/8-inch thick leather, with one finished and unfinished side. I understand they kept one side of the leash unfinished to match with the collar - which again brings up the question of why they aren't sold together - but it would look much nicer if it was finished leather on both sides.

Having it be smooth on both sides would also make it a snap to clean. As it is, unfinished leather is more challenging. Both unfinished and unfinished leather can be cleaned with dilute alcohol and saddle soap, and oiled with leather oils, but unfinished leather takes more effort. When not being used, the leash should be stored somewhere dark and where there is some air circulation. This will ensure your pink leash will stay as bright pink as the day you bought it.

If the leash was smooth on each side and a couple feet longer (it measures 30 inches to the end of the dog clip), it would be a big seller in Beverly Hills where rich girls walk around with their primped poodles and other pocket-sized dogs. As it is, the length is a bit too short for my tastes, and not just for the sake of walking a tiny dog. A leash 1-2 feet longer would be better to get the most out of it, although 30 inches is probably fine if one just wants to use it in bed. Aside from the length, there is no questioning that the design is absolutely solid. The hand loop at the end is acceptably large at 12 inches in circumference and 4 inches in diameter, big enough for all but the absolute most enormous of hands. The rivets are chrome and strong, and the dog clip at the end is also chrome and simple to attach and detach.

Besides using it to attach to a collar, whether of the human or canine variety, this leash could also function as a whip. It is also long enough to use to bind arms or legs together if need be, with the dog clip providing the means to lock it all together. If you are especially adventurous - and you know you are or else you wouldn't be in the market for a leash in the first place - it can even be used to tether bound arms or legs to something or as a gag (it tastes like what you'd expect - leather and whatever oil is used to preserve it). Just imagine all the trouble you could get into with a simple, pink leash.